Support for trees.



No. 646,364. V Patented Mar. 27, I900. J. DONNELLY.

SUPPORT FOR TREES.

(Application AM Jan. :21, 1900.,

(No Modl.)

NITED STATES UFFICE.

PATENT SUPPORT FOR TREES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 646,364, dated March 27, 1900.

Application filed January 31,1900. Serial No. 3AM. (No model.)

T on whom, it 71260; concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN DONNELLY, of Branford, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented anew Improvement in Supports for Trees; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a perspective View, on a reduced scale, of my tree-support with the tree-socket detached; Fig. 2, a sectional view of the same, showing the socket inserted into a tree; Fig. 3, a perspective view of the plate for interlocking the strips Fig. 4, a vertical sectional view of the tree-socket; Fig. 5, a perspective view of the support as packed for shipment.

This invention relates to an improvement in supports for trees, and particularly to supporters for holding Christmas trees or trees used for decorative purposes, the object being a simple device whereby the tree may be suitably supported in a vertical position and one which may be applied with but little difficulty; and it consists in the construction as hereinafter described, and particularly recited in the claims.

As herein shown, the support consists of two strips A B, of wood, of a length corresponding to the height or circumference of the tree to be supported, and the strips are provided with blocks 0, of suitable size, to rest upon the floor or other flat surface where the tree is to be placed. Through the center of the strip A is an opening A, preferably angular, and through the strip B is a corresponding hole B. These strips are connect; ed bya bolt D, which extends upward through the strips, the square portion of the bolt beneath the head standing in the hole A in the strip A and projecting for a considerable distance above the upper surface of the strip B. Preferably and as herein shown I place a metal plate G over the bolt and between the strips A B and provide two sides of the disk with upwardly-extending flanges G to overlap the edges of the strip B and the opposite sides with downwardly-extending flanges G to overlap the edges of the strip A and so that the strips are interlocked. With this plate it is not necessary to have the square hole in the stripA; but preferablyI will make that hole square to prevent the rotation of the bolt, which, however, may be held against rotation by having the squared portion of the bolt extend into the plate, which will for that purpose have the central hole G made square, as shown in Fig. 3. In connection with the stand thus described I employ a socket H, the upper end of which is tubular and its inner surf-ace tapered outward to the upper edge of the socket. The lower end ,of the opening is provided with screw-threads I, corresponding to the threads on the bolt, and around the exterior of the socket above the threads is an annular angular shoulder J. This socket is adapted to be driven into the butt-end of the tree K, and to prevent the upsetting of the threads I the lower end of the socket is formed with a flange L, which will receive the blows of thehammer or other instrument by which the socket is driven into the tree. This socket will be driven in until the shoulder J strikes the end of the tree, and in entering the tree the upper edges of the socket will force the wood within its walls inward, soas to compress it rather than to displace the wood outside the socket and so as to possibly split the tree. The socket thus inserted into the tree is then set over the upper end of the bolt and turned down until the flange strikes a washer E, placed over the bolt and resting on the surface of the strip A, whereby the strips are clamped together, and for this purpose a wrench may be used which will engage with the shoulder J. If the socket is not driven straight into the tree, the tree may be brought to a vertical position by bending the bolt, which may be readily accomplished by grasping the tree and forcing it to a vertical position.

To prevent the socket turning in the tree, I preferably form the inner or upper end of the socket with notches M, and these notches will also receive the edge of any convenient tool by which the socket may be turned down onto the bolt when the strips are reversed, as shown in Fig. 5, for storing or shipping. It is evident that the plate may be made narrower than the width of the strips and so that the flanges will bite into the surfaces of the strips and perform the same function of interlocking the strips. It is also evident that a nut may be applied over the bolt to clamp the strips together before the socket is placed in position and so that the end of the socket will rest upon the top of the nut instead of upon the washer.

Supports constructed in accordance with my invention are so cheap to manufacture that they might not be considered worth saving for a second use; but if one desires to retain them it is a simple matter to split the end of the tree to release the socket, and the parts are readily separated, so as to occupy but little space.

I am aware that strips arranged at a right angle to each other have been adapted for use in connection with supports for trees, and therefore do not wish to be understood as claiming, broadly, such as my invention; but, V Having fullydescribed my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The herein-described tree-support, consisting of two strips adapted to overlap each other and to be supported in a horizontal position, a bolt extending upward through said strips and above the same, and a socket formed at its upper end with a tubular extension adapted to be driven into the butt of a tree, and at its lower end with a threaded portion adapted to be turned over the threaded end of the bolt, substantially as described.

2. The herein-described tree-support, consisting of two strips adapted to overlap each other and be supported in a horizontal position, a plate between said strips and formed with oppositely-extending flanges, a bolt extending upward through said strips, and plate, a socket adapted to be driven into the butt of a tree, and provided at its lower end with an internally-threaded opening to set over the threaded portion of the bolt, substantially as described.

3. A tree-support consisting of two strips adapted to overlap each other and be supported in a horizontal position, a'bolt extending upward through said strips, a tubular socket formed at its upper end with inclined inner walls, and threaded at its lower end for engagement with the threads on said bolt, substantially as described.

4. A tree-support, consisting of two strips adapted to overlap each other and stand in ,a horizontal position, a bolt extending upward through said strips, and a socket adapted to be driven into the butt of a tree and provided at its lower end with a threaded opening, and a flange projecting beyond said threads whereby the socket may be driven home Without injury to the threads, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN DONNELLY.

\Vitn esses:

H. H. MILLER, A. J. DRAKE. 

